A Rewarding CareerMedair Humanitarian Aid

When disasters, conflicts, or other crises strike, Medair brings life-saving relief and rehabilitation tothe most vulnerable people in Africa, Asia, and other areas with extraordinary need.

We work alongside communities in need to improve their health and nutrition; water, sanitation,and hygiene (WASH); and shelter and infrastructure. We employ sector professionals, seniormanagers, and a wide range of support staff to carry out our vital humanitarian work.

Table of Contents

About Medair

2 About Medair 3 Are You Seeking a Rewarding

Career?4 Emergency Relief 5 Rehabilitation 6 Are You an Experienced

Professional? 8 Make Your Profession an

Expression of Your Faith9 Careers in Senior Management 10 Careers in Health and Nutrition 11 My Career with Medair12 Careers in Water, Sanitation, and

Hygiene 13 Careers in Shelter and

Infrastructure 14 Careers as Support Staff16 A Rewarding Career17 A Challenging Career18 Joining the Medair Team 19 Apply to Medair Beneficiaries with measles vaccination cards.

“Medair are doing terrific work indelivering services to the peopleof South Sudan and in supportinglocal authorities. I came awayquite humbled by what yourteams have achieved and at thesame time more energised toensure such work is supportedfurther.”

Julius Court, Joint Donor Team

Are You Seeking A Rewarding Career? Medair gives experienced professionals like you the opportunity to useyour skills in the humanitarian sector to help those in greatest need.Maybe you’re new to the world of humanitarian aid. You catch yourself staring out ofyour workplace window, dreaming of a chance to do more with your career. Maybeyou’re wondering what it’s like to live and work in the field, and whether you’ve gotwhat it takes to thrive in such a challenging environment. You might be wonderingwhether Medair can use someone with your professional skills.

Or maybe you’re an experienced relief or development worker, still brushing off thedust from your last field assignment. You might have heard about Medair’s reputationfor great team spirit, and for delivering high-quality humanitarian aid that makes asignificant impact on vulnerable populations. You might be wondering whether yourskills and experience will transfer to a career with Medair.

Read on and discover what it means to work with Medair. You’ll learn whether yourprofessional skills are a good match for our work, and whether Medair is the right kindof organisation for you.

Are you seeking a way to put your Christian faith into action? At Medair, you will workalongside fellow Christians on teams united by common values, faith, and prayer. Inthe tough operating environments where we work, that kind of unity and commonpurpose is invaluable. You will join teams that strive to be a living example of God’slove, shouldering the burdens of people in crisis with practical, life-saving care.

What’s so rewarding about a career with Medair? You will use your profession to saveand sustain the lives of people who truly need your help, while also learning new skillsin a complex humanitarian environment. You will immerse yourself in a foreign cultureand experience the joys of living and working with an international team. You willknow the rich blessing of saving a life, of teaching new skills, of transforming thehopes of entire communities.

Make no mistake, this is a tough job. You will be pushed to the limits of yourendurance: cold bucket showers in the morning, long hours travelling to remotelocations, trucks stuck in the mud, swatting mosquitoes, dodging lizards, working inconflict zones –– frustrations galore! This is not a career for the faint of heart. Youmight be exhausted at the end of your work day.

But you will sleep soundly, knowing that today you made a world of difference for theworld’s most vulnerable.

“I think I have the best job in the world... It’s so rewarding to see people’s facesevery time we finish fixing a borehole and the water starts to flow... For me, it’sthe most important thing we can give people.”

Rebekah, WASH Manager

3

When militia groups attacked villages in D.R. Congo’s Dungu territory, tens ofthousands of people fled from their homes, with many requiring urgent medicalattention. Medair immediately began providing medicine and emergency healthcare for the most vulnerable, sending shipments of medicine by 4x4 truck.

“We are very thankful for the medical supervisors of Medair who are willing torisk their lives,” wrote the chief nurses of three health structures in a jointmessage. “Without this help, our population would not get any medical healthcare during this difficult period. This is a testimony of your great compassion!”

Crisis in Dungu

Emergency Relief When a sudden crisis hits or a natural disaster strikes, Medairteams respond rapidly to help save lives and reduce suffering. We were on-the-ground within days of the Haiti earthquake, the Kashmir earthquake,and the Asian tsunami. Our teams also respond regularly to in-country emergenciessuch as disease outbreaks, floods, and conflicts that displace people from their homes.

We assess the emergency needs, distribute vital resources, and respond to critical gapswith health care, nutrition, shelter, access to safe water and sanitation, and promotionof good hygiene.

In emergencies, we coordinate with local and international agencies and governmentsto provide assistance where it is most needed.

Most importantly, we work closely with the communities themselves to ensure that theaid we provide is the aid they need.

4

Rehabilitation Once emergency relief needs are met, Medair works alongside vulnerablecommunities to sustain lives and help restore essential services and infrastructure. Our teams improve health and nutrition services, increase reliable access to safe water and sanitation, encourage good hygiene behaviour, and build shelter and vital infrastructure.

Medair builds capacity in local communities to reduce the risks from future disastersand to help people respond and recover quickly when disasters and crises do occur.

When the rehabilitation phase is over, we hand over programmes to communities or toother agencies. We aim to build sufficient capacity within communities so that they canmaintain and operate essential services on their own, without external assistance.

5

Handover Celebrations in Southern Kordofan

In 2003, health care was virtually non-existent in the Sudanese villages of AbuSafifa, Lagori, and Tesi, but by 2008, Medair had helped make quality healthcare available and sustainable.

In joyful ceremonies, Medair handed over health care responsibility to thevillages. The communities marked this significant achievement with speeches,drama, and dancing.

“Handing over these facilities has been very encouraging,” said Janneke, MedairHealth Advisor. “The gratitude expressed toward Medair and the enthusiasm ofthe communities to take care of their health facilities have convinced me that thework we are doing here can really make a difference.”

Experience in health care

Are You an Experienced Professional? Whether you are new to relief work or whether you already have relief or development experience,you need professional experience to join the Medair team of internationally recruited staff.

Do you have strong work experience in your profession? Medair is looking for:

• Senior managers and business executives• Project managers and team managers• Doctors, nurses, nutritionists, public health managers, and other health professionals

• Engineers (civil, water resources, environmental), hydrologists, and other WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) professionals

• Construction project managers, architects, and professionals working in the construction trades

• Logistics professionals• Accountants, bookkeepers, and finance officers• Human resources professionals• Professionals in communications, marketing, fundraising, and media• Information and communication technology (ICT) professionals

Experienced ReliefWorkers (ERWs)

Do you have one or more years ofrelief (or equivalent development)experience in the field? If so, you arelikely familiar with the uniquechallenges of working in thehumanitarian sector.

You know about working in foreigncultures, in places where there isgreat suffering. You know about day-to-day life in the field, from donorproposals to security reports, frommeetings with different agencies tomeetings with your teams ofinternational and national staff.

Medair highly values your skills andexperience and may consider you fora range of field-based roles. We offerERWs good benefits, a fair salary,and the opportunity to hold seniorfield positions.

Medair defines ERWs as applicantswho have at least 12 months ofrelief experience (or 24 months ofdevelopment experience).

New Relief Workers(NRWs)

So you want to help the world’smost vulnerable, but you have littleor no relief or developmentexperience? Work with Medair.Unlike most humanitarian agencies,Medair provides career opportunitiesfor experienced professionals even ifthey have never worked as reliefworkers before.

As a Medair NRW, you will have theopportunity to gain relief experiencewhile using your professional skillsin a real-world humanitarianenvironment. If you continue workingwith Medair, after 12 months youwill become a Medair ERW, with ahigher salary and the potential for amore senior field position.

Medair defines NRWs as applicantswho have less than 12 months ofrelief experience (or 24 months ofdevelopment experience).

6

“Our teams are staffed by people I would trust. They caredeeply and work tirelessly and conscientiously. EverywhereI go I hear from other organisations that Medair is known inthe field for being well-organised, working with integrity,and to exceptionally high standards.”

Stella, Field Communication Officer

7

If hired as an internationally recruited staff, you will join a team of committed Christians. You will live, work, and pray together in our family-like, faith-based team settings.

Make Your Profession an Expression of Your Faith

Just as your values are at the core of everything you do, at Medair, Christian faith is atthe core of everything we do. We are motivated to care for those who suffer becausewe follow Jesus Christ, who taught that our highest goal is to love God and to care forthose in need. Our faith inspires us to give our best in all circumstances. By faith wepray for wisdom when facing difficult decisions, and for courage to live and work indemanding and often dangerous situations.

That’s why our internationally recruited staff (IRS) share a commitment to the Medairvalues: compassion, hope, integrity, accountability, dignity, and faith. These are theways our staff strive to live and work every day, in times of peace and in times ofconflict. They are the foundation for everything we do, and the motivation foreverything we aim to be. We believe our success comes from assembling strong andsupportive teams that stay united through a common faith and purpose that makes usbetter able to withstand the hardships of life in the field.

As an IRS with Medair, you will start your mornings with team devotions, prayers, andwords of encouragement for the day ahead. You will be asked to fully contribute to therich spiritual life of your team. And as you carry out your work, Medair’s prayer networkof thousands of Christians from around the world will be praying for you. A Foundation of Prayer

“I like working for a Christianorganisation. I wanted to serve God bymeeting practical needs in developingcountries. I love the fellowship andfamily feel of working on a Medairteam. I like that at any point we canstop and pray together for something,that what we do is built on afoundation of prayer.

“Every time I work with Medair, Irealise how great God is, how faithfulGod is. God never gives you anythingthat you can’t handle, with his helpand faithfulness. It is really difficulthere, but never too much with him.”

Hannah, Health Project Manager

Medair’s work with beneficiaries is practical and professional at all times. As aMedair IRS, your mission will be to help the most vulnerable recover from crisiswith dignity, without regard for race, religion, age, gender, or politics.

8

“I like Medair’s combinationof Christian ethos andprofessionalism.”

Harm, WASH Advisor

9

If hired as an internationally recruited staff, you will join a team of committed Christians. You will live, work, and pray together in our family-like, faith-based team settings.

Maybe you are a senior manager orbusiness executive in the corporateworld with a desire to switch careersand use your wealth of professionalexperience in the humanitarian sector.Or maybe you already hold a senior-level management position in thehumanitarian sector. You’ve heard aboutMedair and want to join our team.

Medair needs leaders like you: leaderswith years of experience managingsuccessful teams and projects.

As a Medair senior manager, your rolewill be to oversee, design, and managethe strategy, security, implementation,planning, development, and evaluationof the programme. Your work will focuson empowering your staff to implementprojects that make a life-saving impactfor vulnerable communities.

As an experienced senior manager, youhave the potential to be a vital asset forMedair, and by extension, for millions ofvulnerable people.

Careers in Senior ManagementDo you have what it takes to lead an international humanitarian team?

A Steep Learning CurveAfter 20 years working in the corporate sector, Klaas was ready for a change. “I had been working for profit goals for a longperiod in my life and I thought it would be good to make a difference on a different level – touching the lives of people.”

Klaas started in a senior position, inheriting all of the responsibilities that go along with it: report writing, logistical management,as well as a large staff, most of whom had been in the organisation for longer than he had. “My first three or four months weregreat, because there was a very steep learning curve and I was really getting into it. And then I had three or four months where Ifelt, oh yeah, I really understand it – give me more, give me more! And Medair really responded to that and put moreresponsibility on my plate.”

“Although the scale is smaller than I was used to in my business environment, it’s a different environment with lots of differentchallenges,” says Klaas. “What makes it difficult is that you have to make decisions that could impact a person, the life of one ofyour staff. That’s something where you don’t have experience, but you still have to do it.” Klaas is convinced of the importanceof business professionals for Medair. He believes strongly that skills in management, logistics operations, and finance, amongothers, are immediately transferable to the humanitarian sector and “prepare you extremely well for what Medair is offering.”

“From a personal perspective, I grow from being in a Christian organisation with a Christian ethos – I think that’s fantastic.”

Klaas, Country Director

Careers in Health and Nutrition

We primarily need medical doctors,nurses, nutritionists, and public healthprofessionals who have experience in amanagement role. We prefer applicantswith training and experience in publichealth and tropical medicine.

We will sometimes hire specialists forfield-based roles, including emergencynutrition officers, monitoring andevaluation officers, reproductive healthspecialists (including midwives),epidemiologists and behaviour changecommunication specialists.

As a Medair health or nutritionprofessional, your main role will be towork with local staff, supervising andstrengthening the quality of health andnutrition services. You may do somedirect patient care to fill gaps inemergencies.

Emergency responses to diseaseoutbreaks, population displacements,and nutritional emergencies

Maternal and child health programmes

Emergency and integrated nutritionprogrammes

Providing and supporting primaryhealth care services

Vaccinating for routine coverage andoutbreak response

Health and hygiene promotion

Supportive supervision, training, andmonitoring of clinics and staff

Key Activities

Progress in Afghanistan

In 2002, a study revealed that Raghdistrict in remote Afghanistan hadthe highest rates of maternalmortality ever recorded. At that time,there was virtually no health careavailable in the region.

Medair’s health teams went to work.We opened the first emergencyobstetric care facility in the area andwe supported the development ofnumerous clinics and health posts,providing training, supervision, andessential supplies.

At the end of 2009, Medair was ableto successfully hand over the healthprogramme to an Afghan NGO. Fromalmost no health care at all, Raghdistrict now has seven functioninghealth facilities and 55 health posts.

10

Are you a health or nutrition professional? Do you want to use your skills to care for the world’s most vulnerable?

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

“At Medair, we do relief withdevelopment in mind. Some agenciesreally do come in and say, ‘Here’sour package, this is what we deliver.’But to make long-term healthimpacts, you need to involve thecommunity from the start. You reallyhave to partner together and workalongside communities.

“Like many other Medair staff, I’vemade a conscious effort to leave amore lucrative life as a physician tomake an impact on the health ofmothers and children in difficultsituations. So for me, it’s a passion,not just a job. It’s a lot of work, butit’s well worth the blood, sweat, andtears to dedicate your time andenergy in life to trying to improvethe health of people in crisis.”

Wendy, Health Advisor

My Career with Medair

“I grew up in a wealthy country with all the love a child needs andeducation I wanted,” says Henrieke. “To be able to use the gifts God hasgiven me for people who are suffering is a great privilege.

“In Uganda, I witnessed not only intense suffering but also situationswhere people found hope for better lives. Through all these events, Iexperienced strongly how God was guiding us through the challenges andhow he answered our prayers. What you do here is much more basiccompared to what you do back home. It has more to do with life anddeath, in a very essential way.

“We experienced many heavy rains and floods during my time in Uganda.Cars would frequently get stuck in the mud, bridges would break down,and camps would be unreachable for weeks. It was sometimes frustrating,but we often had good laughs and fun, despite the weather.”

In Uganda, the Medair team gradually made the transition from emergencyrelief to rehabilitation. “We made a complete shift from hands-on medicalwork to a system where we only train and supervise the local health staffin the health centres. It has been gratifying to be able to place more andmore responsibility into the hands of the people we came to help.”

Over time, Henrieke received more responsibilities from Medair. “If Medairsees potential in you, they just keep developing you, and they give youthe opportunity to grow.”

When Henrieke moved to the Somalia/Somaliland programme to help startup Medair’s health and nutrition projects, she was promoted to CountryDirector. Her job involved meeting donors and local authorities, developingprogramme strategies, and writing proposals — as well as beingresponsible for security, staff management, and finances.

“Working for Medair is a great experience, but it’s not always an easyone,” she says. “It is often not a ‘romantic’ African experience. It can bedangerous, lonely, and you can have the feeling that you are not makingmuch progress. But you can overcome it all. Perseverance is definitelyneeded. If you go for it, prepare yourself well and enjoy it!”

Henrieke began her nursing career in the Netherlands. Yet somehow,she felt the need to do something more...

“I cannot save the world.We at Medair cannot savethe world. But we can givethe people back a little bitof hope.”

11

Are you an experienced WASH professional? Do you want to use yourexperience and training to improve the health and dignity of people in crisis?

Careers in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

“When I first started with Medair,my main task was to drill a villageborehole in South Sudan. The drillingtook a long time, yet our team finally succeeded.

“We didn’t need to announce oursuccess: women with jerry cansbegan to arrive from near and far,waiting for a turn at the pump.

“The villagers had a ceremony tocelebrate their new well and theelderly king said in his speech: ‘Nowthe river is in the village.’ Those areimages I will never forget.”

Jürgen, WASH Advisor

We primarily need engineers (civil, water resources, environmental) and hydrologists.

We will sometimes hire other WASH specialists for field-based roles, including: watertreatment specialists, hygiene promotion managers, specialists in chemicalcontaminants, environmental health professionals, and WASH programme assessorsand evaluators.

Although you will do some hands-on work, you will mainly focus on overseeing WASHprojects and the staff or beneficiaries who implement them. For this reason, Medairprefers applicants with prior management experience.

Key ActivitiesWater SupplyNew systems or rehabilitation of existing boreholes, hand-dug wells, installed hand-pumps,spring protection, rainwater harvesting, gravity-fed systems, community and household watertreatment systems, emergency water trucking

SanitationCommunity Approaches to Total Sanitation programmes, construction of household andinstitutional latrines, installation of hand-washing and bathing facilities, solid waste collectioncampaigns, and solid waste disposal

Hygiene PromotionProtecting and drinking safe water, hand-washing, hygienic latrine use, and safe stool disposal

Training and Capacity BuildingVillage hygiene promoters, water user committees, and pump mechanics

The River is in the Village

12

WASH at Work

“We are working to provide cleanwater to 40,000 people in fivedifferent towns. I oversee the project,and manage four WASH staff and thebudget. Alongside that, we areencouraging the community to adoptbetter hygiene practices and buildinglatrines for several schools.

“Each day starts with morningdevotions with the team. We haveprogress updates with our staff andplan our next steps. We spend timeprocuring materials and monitoringour budgets. Meetings with localauthorities and community memberstake up quite a bit of time. We alsocoordinate with other NGOs and we report to donors and localstakeholders.

“The most fulfilling thing for me is tosee things getting built and to see thebenefit that we can provide to thecommunity through our work.”

John, WASH Project Manager

13

We primarily need civil or structural engineers, or professionals with a degree in arelevant field such as architecture, construction management, or quantity surveying.

We will sometimes hire other shelter or construction specialists for field-based roles,including: construction site managers, supervisors and forepersons, clerks of works,construction managers, architectural technicians, building technologists, and built-environment specialists.

Although you will do some hands-on work, the majority of your work will focus onleading, overseeing, and evaluating shelter and infrastructure projects, and supervisingthe staff or beneficiaries who implement them. For this reason, Medair prefers applicantswith prior management experience.

Careers in Shelter and InfrastructureAre you an experienced shelter or construction professional? Do you wantto use your profession to save lives and restore hope to people in crisis?

Key ActivitiesConstructing or rehabilitating schools, health clinics, homes, roads, bridges, airstrips Distributing and constructing emergency and transitional shelters; constructing or rehabilitating permanent sheltersDisaster risk reduction and mitigation, including flood prevention and cyclone shelter constructionTraining and capacity building of communities and authorities in disaster risk reduction and preparedness; baseline surveys, shelter and infrastructure assessments; livelihood support including community income-generating projects,food security, food-for-work, and cash-for-work

“Whether Medair runs a healthprogramme, undertakes water andsanitation improvements, orsupports the education system withschool feeding programmes, weinvariably have to build something.Medair is recognised as a key playerin this sector, and we are asked tocontribute to the shelter debatebecause of our proven experience onthe ground.”

Mark, Reconstruction Advisor

Shelter in Haiti

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Medair soon began a shelterprogramme in the city of Jacmel and the surrounding rural area. Our team firstprovided emergency shelters and then worked with local construction labourers tobuild transitional shelters that had solid foundations, metal roofs, and timber-framed walls. The shelters were designed to be upgraded into permanent homesrelatively easily.

In less than a year, Medair had provided safer shelter for more than 11,000

vulnerable Haitians. “I could not have provided this shelter for my family bymyself,” said Evince, one of the first shelter recipients. “I am so happy. It wouldtake me five or 10 years to provide this.”

“I believe we are saving many lives,” said Patrick, a locally recruited Haitian Medairstaff. “We don’t know where they would be if we had not helped them.”

Careers asSupport Staff

These jobs may takeplace behind-the-scenes but they arethe lifeline of ourprogrammes.

Communications

Do you want to use yourcommunications skills to bearwitness to crises and tell storiesthat will stir the world to action?

We primarily need those who haveexperience in communications,public relations, media, fundraising,brand management, or marketing.For certain field-basedcommunications roles, we willsometimes hire: journalists,copywriters, and photographers.

As a Medair communicationsprofessional, you will balance deskwork with travel to remotecommunities as you promoteMedair’s work with local andinternational media.

“I feel really privileged to have thisjob,” says Andrew, FieldCommunication Officer. “I meet alot of beneficiaries, collect theirstories, and talk with them aboutwhat they have encountered in life.I take photos and video footage,and all the material I gather is sent to my colleagues in Europe who usethese stories to raise funds for Medair projects.”

Give a voice to the world’s most vulnerable.Join the Medair team.

Logistics

Humanitarian logistics is full ofchallenges. All the doctors in theworld can’t stop an outbreak in D.R.Congo if the medicines they needare in Nairobi. You need to procure,transport, and store medicines,keeping them cold in the hot sub-Saharan sun. You need to arrangetransport for medical staff, fuellingup motorbikes, charging sat-phones,and providing a GPS that will leadthem to the village that needs theirhelp. And that’s all before lunch!

We primarily need logistics managers who have team or project management experience.We will sometimes hire: logisticsofficers, fleet managers, transportmanagers, facility managers,warehouse managers, procurement /purchase managers, stock managers,supply-chain managers, and import /export coordinators.

As a Medair logistics professional, you will need to be a skilledproblem-solver. You will handle thelogistics requirements of managingfacilities and all aspects of supply-chain management, includingprocurement, stock, equipment,travel, transport, and fleetmanagement.

Solve problems. Save lives. Join the Medair team.

Project Support

Do you have experience managing oroverseeing support services such asfinance, H.R., logistics, or ICT?

We primarily need professionals who have experience and training in business management oradministration, office management,finance, accounting, logistics, or H.R.

As a Medair project supportmanager, you will help lead ourbehind-the-scenes support teamsand manage our project bases inorder to optimise the efficiency ofour humanitarian work.

“I’m kept busy handling H.R.,security, facilities, admin, logistics,and running a wonderful team ofnational staff,” says Amanda, ProjectSupport Manager. “After many yearsin the corporate sector, I reckoned ifI was going to continue to work sohard, it really ought to be forsomething very worthwhile.”

Support our life-saving work. Join the Medair team.

14

Finance

Do you want to use your financeskills to help keep Medairaccountable to our funding partners,our beneficiaries, and our corevalues?

Medair primarily needs accountants,bookkeepers, and finance managers. We will sometimes hire: financialconsultants and advisors, businessmanagers, and account managers.

As a Medair finance professional,you will manage the finances andfinancial procedures of our fieldprogrammes. Your responsibilitiesmay include cash and bankmanagement, financial analysis andreporting, budgeting, training, andsupervision of finance staff at field

locations.

“Accounting reveals the moralcharacter and identity of anorganisation,” says Jim, Medair’sChief Executive Officer. “The task of finance is to account for the actionsof an organisation and to do so with integrity.”

Keep us accountable tothe most vulnerable. Join the Medair team.

Information andCommunicationsTechnology (ICT)

Do you want to use your ICT skills tosupport our life-saving work in achallenging, low-bandwidthenvironment?

Medair primarily needs I.T. managers,end-user professionals, help-deskprofessionals, and LAN-supportprofessionals. Medair ICTprofessionals must have managementexperience.

As a Medair ICT professional, you willwork within a team environment tomaintain and improvecommunications, security, andnetworking across multiple fieldlocations and for a wide range ofneeds.

“After checking the inside of a brokencomputer, I saw that one cooling fanwasn’t working anymore,” recalledWillem, ICT Manager. “I opened theprotection covers and found theproblem: a burnt lizard lay before me,having been caught by the blades ofthe fan. Upon removing the lizard, thecomputer worked fine again.”

Secure communications.Help save lives. Join the Medair team.

Human Resources

Do you want to use your H.R. skillsto support staff teams who providelife-saving aid in a challengingwork environment?

Medair primarily needs H.R.advisors, managers, andgeneralists. We will sometimeshire: H.R. trainers, recruitmentmanagers, talent managementprofessionals, and rewardmanagers.

As a Medair H.R. professional, youwill support both our internationaland national staff teams. Yourresponsibilities may includerecruitment, staff training,implementation of policies andprocedures, management ofbenefits and compensation,contracts and legal compliance, andgeneral staff well-being anddevelopment.

Support the lives ofpeople saving lives. Join the Medair team.

15

A Rewarding CareerWe highly value our internationally recruited staff (IRS) and deeplyappreciate the living commitment they make to the world’s most vulnerable.

As a Medair IRS, you will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes:• A salary based upon the grade of the position and the experience of the position-holder

• Full briefing at our Swiss headquarters, as well as an in-country briefing

• Security training for those going to particularly insecure environments

• Accommodation, food, and transportation in-country• Return flights to and from the country programme (one return flightfor every year of service)

• Annual leave, plus rest and recuperation (R&R) leave (including travel, accommodation, and food)

• Additional benefits for those who commit to longer contracts: up to four weeks additional paid leave every 12 months, and re-entry allowance

• Comprehensive medical and emergency rescue insurance, with up to 60 days post-assignment coverage, including debriefing

Why Work With Medair?

It’s not just for the salary, the benefits, or the chance to have anadventure in a far-off country...

So why work with us? Do it because we are a professionalhumanitarian organisation that saves and sustains the lives of theworld’s most vulnerable.

Do it because you want the unique opportunity to live and work withan international team of committed Christians.

Do it for others, not for yourself. That’s the key to a rewarding career.

16

“Medair staff are dedicated, we havea passion for what we do. When weget to the beneficiaries, we identifywith them. And when you make thatkind of difference in somebody’s life,you experience joy.”

Sophia, ERT Health Project Manager

When you work in the field, you will face challenges that test your resolve. You will livein austere conditions, far from the comforts of home. You will live in countries whereharsh climates and unfamiliar cultures can make you feel like an outsider.

You may need to travel to remote, isolated communities by foot, boat, 4x4, donkey,horse, small plane, motorbike, canoe—whatever it takes to reach the most vulnerable.You will work in complex operating environments where your own plans are oftenfrustrated by on-the-ground realities and insecurity. You may see scenes of sufferingthat will break your heart.

When you face these kinds of challenges, you will need to use all your skills,experience, faith, and strength of character to overcome obstacles and bring relief to themost vulnerable. As difficult as it will be, overcoming these kinds of daunting challengesis part of what makes this such a rewarding career.

A Challenging CareerYou need to make sacrifices when you work in the humanitarian sector.

Basic Living Conditions

“We live on a large compound with between four and 15 otherMedair staff at any one time. We eat basic food (mostly beans,goat, and rice) but we do sometimes get treats like cheeseand chocolate when we receive parcels. The toilets are oftenonly holes in the ground, and we shower with a bucket and cup.

“In our rooms, we are often joined by lizards, bats, scorpions,and huge green locusts, as well as spiders, mosquitoes, andants. It is very hard to work in temperatures constantly over40°C (104°F), and also sometimes hard to sleep in the heat.The rains are due soon, which means that we will not be ableto reach some of our clinics due to flooding.

“Sometimes it feels like we are constantly camping, but I havenever seen so many beautiful sunsets, wild thunderstorms, orskies full to the brim with stars at night. It is a huge privilegeto be here.”

Lizzy, Health Project Manager

Security and Safety

“Riding around the mountains ofAfghanistan on a horse often strikesme as bizarre. I love the ruggedterrain and knowing we are helpingsome of the poorest communities inthe country. I've visited villages thatfew westerners ever visit.

“Security and safety are always ourbig issues, mainly from theremoteness and the possibility ofaccidents in a disaster-prone area. Ilike the challenge of the basic livingconditions—it shows what you canmanage without.”

Claire, Food Security ProjectManager

17

17

“Some people are easily disillusioned about how muchtime is spent with the beneficiaries hands-on. They needto realise that a lot of what Medair does is managementand coordination.

This job allows me to focus on the bigger issues and thismeans more responsibility... and more chance to make adifference.”

Anne, Deputy Country Director

Joining the Medair TeamWe set the bar high for prospective staff and are rewarded with teams that displaysome of the most remarkable spirit and unity in the humanitarian sector.

18

New Relief Workers (Internationally Recruited Staff only)• Experienced professionals in a relevant field • Committed Christians• Commitment to the Medair values (faith, hope, accountability, integrity, dignity, compassion)

• Minimum three months of overseas intercultural experience• Strong English communication skills (spoken and written) • Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) for French-speaking field programmes

• Single or married (with no children under 18). If married, your spouse must also apply

• Competent with Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Experienced Relief Workers (IRS only)

• All of the new relief worker requirements plus:• Minimum 12 months of humanitarian relief experience(or 24 months development experience) in a relevant field

Please read the minimum criteria below to confirm that you qualifybefore applying to join the Medair team:

The Medair Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC)All staff are required to attend the ROC.

The ROC is an orientation and evaluationcourse that takes place several times ayear, usually in Switzerland.

At the ROC you will experience thechallenges of working in the humanitariansector through practical simulations, andyou will become familiar with Medair’svalues, projects and country programmes.

The ROC is an invaluable introduction toMedair for both new and experienced reliefworkers.

As a new relief worker, you will use theROC to evaluate whether you think ahumanitarian career with Medair is a goodfit for you, and we will evaluate yoursuitability for a field career with us. Youmay be asked to commit to a fieldprogramme immediately, or you may haveto wait for some months while we matchyour expertise to the most appropriate fieldposition.

As an experienced relief worker, you willgenerally attend the ROC only after youhave agreed on a suitable position withMedair, and you will then go to yourassigned field programme soon after theROC is completed.

The majority of participants successfullycomplete the ROC and begin a career withMedair.

For more information about the ROC,please visit www.medair.org/ROC.

“Everything was covered – everythingthat can happen in the field. I was sort ofscared at the end of it all. But I waspositive about the organisation and Isaid in my exit interview… ‘If I go, I’mgoing with Medair.’”

Henrieke, Country Director

“At the ROC, I knew for sure Medair wasthe organisation I wanted to work for.”

Kees, WASH Manager

19

Apply to MedairAt each stage, Medair will evaluate your application and, if successful,you will be asked to proceed to the next stage of the application process.

Medair’s Affiliate Offices

Our affiliate offices and our Swiss offices support the work of Medair throughfundraising, communication, recruitment, and prayer. Your country’s affiliate officecan respond to any questions you might have about joining the Medair team.

Our affiliate offices are often looking for volunteers who are willing to donate theirtime and energy to assist Medair’s work.

For more information, please visit the website of your country’s affiliate or the Swissoffices. If there is no Medair office in your country, please contact our internationalheadquarters directly.

1. Check online for ways to apply at www.medair.org/career

2. Complete the Medair selection process, including the ROC

3. Prepare for the field, including a full Medair H.Q. briefing

4. Travel to the field and attend a programme-specific orientation

5. Begin your Medair career!

Careers at Medair Headquarters (H.Q.)

Medair’s H.Q. staff oversee the organisation from a base of operations in Ecublens,near Lausanne, Switzerland. Medair H.Q. occasionally has vacancies for DeskOfficers, H.R. Officers, Finance Officers, and in Logistics, Communications,Fundraising, and ICT.

Photo Credits: Images were taken by Medair staff, with the exception of: pp. 1,15 © Medair/RodneyRascona; pp. 3,15,16 © Medair/Fidisoa Rasambainarivo; pp. 4,8,13,18 © Medair/Miguel Samper; pp.5,8,9,12,20 © Medair/Odile Meylan; p. 7 © Medair/J.J. Stok; p. 8 © Medair/Colin O'Connor; p. 12 ©Medair/Pierrot Men.

International Headquarters www.medair.org/HQ Switzerland (French) www.medair.org/suisse Switzerland (German) www.medair.org/schweizFrance www.medair.org/franceGermany www.medair.org/deutschlandThe Netherlands www.medair.org/nederlandUnited Kingdom www.medair.org/united-kingdomUnited States www.medair.org/united-statesAll internationally recruited staff are employed by our Swiss headquarters.

Careers in the Field

A Rewarding Career with Medairwww.medair.org/career

AccountabilityDignityFaithCompassionIntegrityHope

HRB

11